Byron mayor wants to legalise gay marriage

Byron Bay's mayor wants to put gay marriage on the agenda for the federal election.

Reuters: Enrique Castro-Mendivil, file photo

The mayor of Byron Bay in northern New South Wales says he wants to make gay marriage legal in the shire and has flagged the creation of a "love park".

Mayor Simon Richardson says the Federal Government is failing same-sex couples and he says it is time for local government to champion their cause.

He will put a motion to the council in the coming weeks to recognise the marriage of gay and lesbian couples, although the council does not have the powers to make it legal.

Councillor Richardson says he hopes other councils will take up the issue to put gay marriage on the agenda during the federal election.

He says he wants residents to feel validated by the gesture.

"Even though within Byron it might be a bit token, at least within Byron we will acknowledge your wedding, we acknowledge your marriage, we acknowledge your partnership," he said.

Councillor Richardson says he is even willing to officiate at gay wedding ceremonies and hand out marriage certificates from the council.

"We also might have other ideas like presenting a tree they can plant and we can perhaps create a park, a 'love' park where it can be filled with people's love and people's union - something that can grow like their relationship," he said.

"Obviously there is a symbolic nature of it all, but I think it's also highlighting a clear and important injustice.

"I think sometimes local government has that role in a sense where federal government fails to meet the expectations of the people, I think the government that's closer to the people has a role to express loud and clear to express what the community thinks."

His motion will be presented to the rest of the council in the coming weeks.